Looking for Content Marketing Training? School Is Now in Session!

According to our annual content marketing research, organizations are investing about one-third of their marketing budgets on content marketing — and the majority are planning to increase their spend in the next year. While this seems like good news, our research also found that fewer than half of marketers consider themselves to be effective in the content efforts they produce.

So why aren’t these increased investments resulting in greater confidence and success? The principles of content marketing are sound, and people know that it should (and does) work — when done right. The problem is that content is a complex asset. It touches so many departments in your organization and needs to be repurposed across so many social channels, that it’s difficult to know just what the “right” decisions are.

This is why investing your marketing budget without a clear content plan for what you want to achieve and how you will achieve it is a path that often leads to frustration and failure.

But lack of a plan isn’t the only cause of content marketing frustration:

As the discipline has increased in popularity, the volume of available resources and information has exploded. It’s common for marketers to tell me that they feel like they’re “drinking from a fire hose.”

Content marketing is not something many marketers are doing “instead” of something else; rather, it’s been added on to their existing marketing responsibilities. No wonder they feel overwhelmed!

There’s a lot of bad marketing out there that’s being referred to as content marketing, even if it doesn’t really fit the bill.

There is no one right way to do content marketing, and there are no shortcuts. And while there certainly are basic principles that can be mastered, it can be difficult to distinguish them from other marketing techniques.

If you are struggling with content marketing, or want to strengthen your potential for achieving success, I urge you to go back to the basics.

The key to capitalizing on your current investment and increasing your effectiveness is to ensure you are building your content marketing on the proper foundation — i.e., the essential knowledge you need to create high impact content. But where can you find this knowledge and learn how best to apply it to your content efforts?

Of course, answering questions like this is why the Content Marketing Institute exists. To date, our efforts have been channeled into two key areas: a great website full of ideas and approaches, and our Content Marketing World events. For years, our conference has served as the largest and most comprehensive networking and educational opportunity in the industry. But it only comes around twice a year (once in North America and once in Australia). And with content marketing effectiveness being a pressing need all year round, many marketing professionals tell me they need more consistent, ongoing, and on-demand training to keep them from falling behind the curve.

It’s the deepest online program available for content marketing, providing education and insight that you can’t get anywhere else. With experts like Ardath Albee, Andrew Davis, Doug Kessler, Michael Brenner, Todd Wheatland, and many more, we’ve developed 35 lessons, offering more than 18 hours of training (with more coming soon), that will help you answer key content marketing questions, such as:

How do I plan and prioritize my efforts?

Who is my audience, and how do I reach and engage them?

What is the best way to take advantage of different channels?

How can I be as efficient as possible and get the most out my efforts?

How can I measure what’s working and what’s not?

Want more proof that CMI Online Training can help guide you to greater content marketing success? Take a few minutes to explore our curriculum, and sign up for access to two free classes. For a limited time, we’re even offering a special discount promotion, which will save you some money on your full registration (see, we’re helping you get more from your content marketing budget already!).

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What a great idea. I’ve been having a similar one for Slovenian market, now you gave me push to do something about rather than looking for obstacles and daydreaming. I have a question though. If one gets your ceritificate, what it will be its meaning for them in the real world?

http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/ Joe Pulizzi

Great question Nenad. The training is built on our content marketing framework we’ve built and been preaching for years. We believe this is the best way to approach the art and science of content marketing. I think a certificate of completion from CMI training means something…just like our in-person training means something as well.

BTW, saw your note regarding Print. I agree and we are on it.

Allen Graves

Yes, a great idea, gentlemen. This could become a really big thing for CMI.

I just wanted to comment on Nenad’s post.

I’ve
done a lot of work with folks who have earned various certificates. A
certificate from anywhere – whether it is a company, organization,
university or industry leader – isn’t what should be valued, in my
opinion (unless is it a requisite). I think that the value comes after
you’ve done something with what you’ve learned from earning the
certificate.

Showing a certificate to an employer is great…it
may even help you stand out from the competition. But showing a
certificate and then giving examples of how YOU created value out of it
(financial, branding, exposure, SEO, reputation, etc.) is the thing that
will land you that job, get you that promotion or advance your career
up the ladder.

A lot of students these days feel that if they get
that piece of paper in their hand, then they are all set, but that’s
only when the hard work begins. 🙂

Get the certificate, do something positive with it and THEN the rewards can follow.

Just my opinion.

Cheers,
Allen Graves

http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/ Joe Pulizzi

Allen…I love your point here. And this is so true. I’ve always believed that with Content Marketing World attendance as well. So, you came…great…what did you DO with it?

NenadSenic

Case closed. 🙂

Jonathan Wall

Earning your certificate from CMI Online Training shows that you completed all the required lessons and quizzes from some of the most respected and experienced practitioners in content marketing. That in turn, should serve as credible signal to your current employer or a future one that you have gone through the core foundation of content marketing covering planning, audience, story, channels, conversation, process and measurement. Note that many of the lessons in CMI Online Training are electives, in that you don’t have to take them to get certified, but the education in those lessons is just as valuable as the required elements.

Like other degrees or certificates, that knowledge that you get from training is only as current as you keep it. Our plan is to add new classes and update ones so that content marketers can and should want to keep their certificate as current possible, completing any new or updated requirements every year.

Linda

What is the price of the course? I went through way too many pages of reading looking for that one figure and never did find it. I don’t want to sign up for a free lesson if I can’t afford the whole course.

http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/ Joe Pulizzi

Thanks Linda…we will make this clearer for sure. I appreciate the feedback. An annual subscription to the program is $995, or you can pay $125 per month for the annual subscription.

linda

Thank you

http://hashimwarren.com/ Hashim Warren

Joe, I love this! It’s sorely needed in our space.

Quick question – how does this compare to the new certification offered by Copyblogger or Northwestern’s MOOC on Content Strategy?

http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/ Joe Pulizzi

Thanks Hashim…and thanks for bringing this up. I love both the Copyblogger Authority program and the Northwestern MOOC.

The Northwestern program is content strategy for professionals of all kinds, not just marketing. It’s an excellent overview for any business person that is or is not in marketing. The CMI program on the other hand is specifically focused on the marketing aspect of content marketing strategy and execution…and much more hands-on in detail to help you get the job of content marketing done in your organization.

The Copyblogger program is also excellent, and I’ve enjoyed seeing it grow from just copywriting and online marketing into content marketing. From what I know about the program, they are very focused on startups and SMBs with their programming. The CMI program really focuses on mid-market and enterprise content marketing strategies, where different and more complex content marketing challenges exist. If you were a smaller business, I would recommend their program (and you can probably tell in the price difference as well).

All this said, a rising tide lifts all ships, and we will continue to look for ways to work with both organizations.

Thanks again Hashim…keep them coming.

Jolene

Were all of the lessons created exclusively for the CMI certificate? Or is the entire lesson plan comprised of the best-of-the-best from CMI?

http://contentmarketinginstitute.com Jonathan Wall

Hi Jolene, these lessons feature exclusive content created for this program, content that you cannot get anywhere else.